As is the usual practice, talk at our table centered mainly around basketball, specifically recruitment.

"Malapit na Fil Oil ah," he stated, referring to the Fil Oil-Flying V Premiere Cup, the summer basketball tournament organized by the local petroleum company that bears the same name.

I nodded, knowing this tournament would begin after the Holy Week, so it was only about a week or two away.

"Sino mga bago natin?" he inquired, referring to who the new players might be on our varsity roster.

I shrugged. Apart from transfer student Gab Reyes, and two players who failed to make the last season's regular roster for different reasons, I actually had no clue who any of our new talent (if any) there might be.

I told him about Reyes, and the other two guys: Tyler Tio and Gian Mamuyac. He was of course familiar with all three, since we had followed their developments even as far back as their high school days. I said they were doing well in the offseason tournaments like the Fr Martin Cup and the Milcu Got Skills Challenge Cup.

He didn't sound too impressed. "That's it?"

I nodded.

"So what we have is an athletic forward who Lord only knows has been doing what the last couple of years we haven't heard a thing from him, a guy who should have been lined up last season were it not for paperwork that had nothing to do with his game, and another guy who we both agreed should have been lined up ahead of at least three other guys who didn't actually do shit for us last season. Would that be accurate?"

I nodded again. Although I did add that at least we're getting three guys who aren't total greenhorns and who could come in and play right away within the system of the team and the coach, which is always valuable.

"Valuable, yes, but doesn't guarantee us a title does it?" he asked, rhetorically as usual.

My wife was busy putting fried rice, squid heads, beef, broccoli, tofu, and clams on our plates while we were engrossed in our little discussion. It pays to marry the right woman, I tell you. She will make sure you can keep enjoying a good meal without having to skip a beat in your in-depth basketball conversation.

I said that with Reyes, Tio, Mamuyac we would have a better perimeter now, that can provide firepower, defense, experience, and much-needed speed.

"I hardly think Tyler and Gab will provide speed, only Gian is a natural runner in that bunch. You are correct though that Tyler can provide additional firepower, Gab too, because Gab I think is a better shooter than Thirdy Ravena. But then again Gab might be what, in his fourth year in college by now, dapat lang naman sigurong gumagawa na siya, athletic naman siya, may pukol, sa edad niya dapat lang naman kaya na niya gumawa. So once again we have to thank Lasalle for another guy they couldn't use, because now he gets to play in a blue uniform," he expounded.

"Far from it, I think we will return to the Finals at the very least, where once again our problem will be how to match up against (Benoit) Mbala. Sino pantatapat natin sa kanya, sina (Chibuezee) Ikeh at George (Go) na naman? Hindi porke nakapalag tayo kahit papano last year ganun-ganun lang magagawa natin ulit 'yon this year."

We have a good coach who has the kinds of players he likes, and that can play within his system, so there is always that, said I. After all, we did make it into the Finals last year and put up a good fight against the consensus Number 1 team. If they beat us and they won the title, that was to be expected right?

"Yes, expected naman 'yon, pero what I'm trying to say is they won because they had the players that I've been telling you for so long are exactly the players we needed. So bakit sila nakuha nila, tayo hindi? Magaling na kung sa magaling ang coach natin, and you know how I really feel about that, pero assume na nga natin na good coach ang atin. Only so much a coach can do pa din hindi ba? Don't tell me superior coach si Aldin Ayo. Sabihin pa nga nating lamang na lamang as coach si Tab (Baldwin) over Ayo, we still lost, and it is simply because they had the superior players. Maybe hindi naman magiging PBA superstars ang mga 'yon, pero clearly they were better than our guys, especially of course si Mbala. Ito na lang honest question: if you could pick, who would you pick, Mbala or Ikeh? No-brainer 'di ba?"

I then went on to discourse rather freely about how a good coach can make a big difference.

He cut me off.

"Pare naman, alam ko namang maraming factors ang basketball success, pero come on, may nakita ka na bang team na nanalo, all things being equal, na walang talent, na talagang dinala lang ng coach? When was the last time? Has it happened in the last 25 years? You need talented players to win. So the guys getting you those players have to understand the game and what it takes to win. Ganun ba mga tao natin?"

We eventually finished lunch without a resolution yet of our little discussion.